Ecosystem Restoration in the Long Tom River Basin for Water Quality Improvement in the Willamette River
Preliminary Findings Prepared by Long Tom Watershed Council
Dana Erickson, Cindy Thieman Prepared for City of Eugene
Project P0702 March 2008 Acknowledgements
The following people provided informal technical assistance during this project. A description of their assistance is provided. Their names here do not connote their review of the final product. � � � � � � � York Johnson, DEQ � Used Shadelator to calculate thermal reduction potential for the Long Tom River. Ryan Michie, DEQ � Provided clarification of Shadelator results and calculations. Stuart Rounds, USGS � Assisted in estimating potential temperature influence of Bear and Ferguson Creeks on the lower Long Tom River. Kendra Morgan, Clean Water Services - Met with LTWC staff to review field assessment and mapping protocols for determining shade credit values. Raj Kapur, Clean Water Services � Discussed use of Shadelator for showing credit value from planting projects. Provided average values from CWS experience for shade credit per unit stream length. Peter Guillozet, Clean Water Services � Provided monitoring protocols and estimates for project implementation. Landowners in the Long Tom River basin. Citation: Long Tom Watershed Council. Ecosystem Restoration in the Long Tom River Basin for Water Quality Improvement in the Willamette River. 2008. 2 Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4 Background .................................................................................................................................... 4 Priority Area Determination .......................................................................................................... 5 Restoration project types for temperature mitigation and other benefits ............................... 6 Riparian Planting ........................................................................................................................ 6 Instream Impoundment Removal................................................................................................ 6 Connection to cool water sources ............................................................................................... 7 Floodplain restoration and hydrologic reconnection .................................................................. 7 Multiple Benefits from Shading.................................................................................................. 7 Implementation timelines for different project types.................................................................. 8 Viability of Project Types for TMDL Implementation Options................................................. 9 Riparian Shading of the Lower Long Tom River ........................................................................ 10 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 1. Sample map of Shadelator Results ......................................................................... 12 Findings..................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 4. Potential thermal load reductions for selected reaches, lower Long Tom River .. 14 Elements of a performance monitoring plan for riparian shading and bacteria reduction .... 15 Considerations in contracting with landowners for shade production.................................... 15 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 16 Questions................................................................................................................................... 16 Findings..................................................................................................................................... 16 Credit calculations ................................................................................................................ 17 Contract payment amounts ................................................................................................... 17 Minimum Contract Value ..................................................................................................... 17 Uncertainty or "Hassle" factor.............................................................................................. 17 Permission to access land...................................................................................................... 17 Upfront payment ................................................................................................................... 18 Contract signing bonus or value addition ............................................................................. 18 Explaining the system ........................................................................................................... 18 Landowner Involvement in BMP activity ............................................................................ 18 Contract Development .......................................................................................................... 19 Floodplain Easements ........................................................................................................... 20 Project Relationship to Marketplace Activities.......................................................................... 20 Credit Calculations................................................................................................................ 20 Watershed Council Roles...................................................................................................... 20 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 21 References ................................................................................................................................... 23 Appendices................................................................................................................................... 24 Appendix A: Long Tom Watershed Sub-basins ....................................................................... 25 Appendix B: Areas for further investigation ............................................................................ 26 Appendix C: Outreach to Landowners ..................................................................................... 27 List of Attachments ..................................................................................................................... 33 3 Introduction
The goal of this project was to produce materials that support the City's TMDL options assessment, under compilation through March of 2008. This report gives some preliminary answers with regard to project types and priority areas when considering ecosystem restoration activities in the Long Tom Watershed as a method to accomplish water quality improvement in the Willamette River. Specific detail is provided with regard to shading the Long Tom River to achieve temperature reduction. Areas of potential further investigation are noted throughout the report and summarized in Appendix B. Background
In the Willamette Basin, there is considerable movement toward creating markets for ecosystem services. Multiple complementary investigations are occurring and technical and system experts are addressing each of the components necessary to create a marketplace for the trade of many types of credits. Chief among them are water quality credits.
Demand for water quality credits to meet Clean Water Act standards is driven by newly established Total Maximum Daily Loads in Oregon for water quality parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, and more. In general, the analysis suggests that all the major point sources in the Upper Willamette reach (upstream of river mile 108) have excess thermal loads that exceed waste load allocations and thus may have an interest in acquiring thermal credits. (Willamette Partnership, 2008) One example of this is a municipality like the City of Eugene needing to offset the thermal loading from treated wastewater discharges to the Willamette River. A typical solution to reducing the thermal impact would be to build a large cooling plant. However, the simplest version of another option would be to pay landowners in surrounding watersheds to plant trees to produce shading over the longer term that cool streams. This alternative approach invests in natural systems and, coupled with a high quality organizational framework to identify, value and track investment as well as return, and a sound technical approach, it has great potential. This project explores the potential for ecosystem restoration in the Long Tom River basin to improve water quality in the Willamette River. The primary emphasis was assessing potential reduction from solar loading by implementing riparian shading, and landowner interest in participating in this activity in a marketplace framework. The Long Tom River was chosen because it is the most underperforming for shade in the Willamette Basin. The difference between current and potential effective shade levels is 32%1
Figure 1.48 in the TMDL appendix reports the McKenzie River in sections at 14.2% and 32.8% respectively for the lower and upper river. The 32.8% number, which would be slightly higher than the Long Tom River, is an artifact of calculation (Ryan Michie, DEQ, pers. comm.).
1 4 (ODEQ, 2006, p.C-139). Based on long-term average flows, the Long Tom River contributes on average 5.5% of the flow of the average Willamette River at Albany (A. Donner, USACE, pers. comm.). Modeling suggests that shading the entire lower section of the Long Tom River, from Fern Ridge Reservoir down to the southern confluence at Norwood Island, could reduce the temperature of the river as much as 4� C. Therefore, there is significant thermal load reduction potential along the lower Long Tom River. Priority Area Determination
To gain the maximum Willamette River temperature reductions from Long Tom Watershed restoration projects, it is recommended that restoration activities be focused in the lower Long Tom, Bear and Ferguson Creek sub-watersheds. (The map in Appendix A delineates the ten sub-watersheds in the Long Tom Basin.) The primary reason for this is the influence of Fern Ridge Reservoir. Fern Ridge is very large and shallow, which leads to long hydraulic residence time. Any temperature reductions gained from restoration projects upstream of Fern Ridge would be negated once the water entered the reservoir (Stuart Rounds, USGS, pers. comm.). Another advantage of restoration in this priority area, particularly on the Long Tom River downstream of Monroe, is improving winter rearing habitat for juvenile Spring Chinook and fluvial cutthroat trout that migrate between the Long Tom and Willamette Rivers (Gary Galovich, ODFW, pers. comm.). Also, Bear and Ferguson Creek have the highest E. coli concentrations in the rural portion of the Long Tom Watershed (Thieman, 2007). Thus, projects that increased shade and excluded livestock from streams in these subwatersheds would achieve both stream temperature and bacteria reduction requirements. In late summer, Ferguson and Bear Creek contribute approximately 4 and 6 cfs, respectively, to the lower Long Tom River. From early June through mid to late September, 7-day average maximum daily temperatures in Bear Creek are above the state standard of 17.8� C, ranging from 20� � 23� C. Ferguson Creek temperatures are somewhat cooler and drop down again earlier, with maximum daily temperatures ranging from 18� � 22� C from early July to early September (Long Tom Watershed Council, unpublished flow & temperature data). If temperatures in both these streams could be reduced to meet the state standard of 17.8� C, this could cool the lower Long Tom by as much as 0.5� C.2 Developing a Shadealator model or other method for identifying high "Back of the envelope" calculation shown below is for the lower Long Tom and Bear Creek at typical late summer flows and temperature, with the exception that Bear Creek is assumed to be 17.8� C for the purpose of estimating its temperature impact on the lower Long Tom if Bear Creek were to meet the state temperature standard. Formula (QLTa * TempLTa) + (QBC * TempBC)/ (QLTa + QBC) = Temp LTb Where, Q= flow, Temp= water temperature, BC= Bear Cr., LTa= Lower Long Tom above Bear Cr., LTb= Lower Long Tom below Bear Cr. Calculation (74 cfs * 22� C)+(5.8 cfs * 17.8� C)/(74 cfs +5.8 cfs)= 21.7� C 5
2 priority shading areas for Bear and Ferguson Creek would be an important step in developing shade credits within these sub-watersheds. Although not a priority sub-watershed for reducing temperatures in the Willamette River, Coyote Creek is also underperforming for shade; current effective shade is 22.8% less than system potential. With relation to the Ecosystem Marketplace, there is discussion that any restoration activity above the "point of maximum impact" on the Willamette River would count for credit, regardless of its location. If this is the case, Coyote Creek might also be considered a priority area for developing shade credits with multiple benefits in the Long Tom Watershed. With respect to achieving multiple benefits this is an important addition as Coyote Creek is a high priority sub-watershed for restoration due to the extensive amount of natural habitat remaining. Restoration project types for temperature mitigation and other benefits
Riparian Planting
Increasing shade through riparian planting has been shown both in practice (Derek Godwin, OSU Extension, unpublished data and Cindy Ricks-Meyers, S. Coast WS Council, unpublished data) and theory to significantly reduce stream temperature and increase dissolved oxygen. On cropland, enhancement of riparian areas also has the potential to reduce nutrient and sediment contributions to local rivers and streams (see: www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-swq-nps-gw.pdf, www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1507.pdf) Instream Impoundment Removal
A promising mechanism to improve stream temperature and dissolved oxygen is removal of certain instream impoundments. The Long Tom River's impoundments consist of three check dams installed to control grade on the channel. One of the dams is also elevated in the summer by the Junction City Water Control District to provide irrigation water to adjacent farms. Smaller impoundments are scattered across the Ferguson, Bear and Coyote Creek sub-watersheds. These typically have been put in for irrigation or aesthetic purposes. Temperature monitoring data at an impoundment on Jordan Creek, a tributary of the Coyote Creek sub-watershed, suggest that some impoundments significantly raise stream temperature. This impoundment slows stream velocity and creates a broad shallow pool behind it. Coupled with no shade, this has led to a significant temperature impact. In this instance, maximum daily water temperatures were as much as 8� C higher immediately downstream of the impoundment (Thieman, 2007). It would be worthwhile to investigate other impoundments located on the valley floor that have no shade and create wide shallow pools to see if this temperature influence is seen elsewhere. 6 Connection to cool water sources
Connecting streams to cool water sources, such as springs, might also create cooling. Evaluating this potential would require research into specific project methodology in addition to an evaluation of sub-surface flow patterns in the Long Tom Watershed. Other possible sources of cold water augmentation are existing impoundments in the headwaters of Bear, Ferguson, and Coyote Creek. Many are on private forestland and maintained for fire safety. These may contrast to impoundments on the valley floor in their width to depth ratio and existing shade. If these impoundments are stratified, it is possible that cool water could be pulled from the bottom, much like summertime reservoir releases are regulated in the Cascades3. This would require temperature profile monitoring and an evaluation of technical feasibility to determine if this is a viable option. Related to both removing impoundments and connecting to cool water sources, the Long Tom Watershed Council (LTWC) is conducting a Fish Barrier Assessment in 2008. This project will identify and map instream impoundments in selected sub-watersheds. Temperature monitoring of some of these impoundments may be possible. Floodplain restoration and hydrologic reconnection
Improving river-floodplain interaction, via levee removal or setback, bank terracing, and historic channel reconnection, provides a number of potential environmental benefits. Levee removal or setback would increase off-channel and instream habitat, reduce erosion, and increase floodplain storage. Stream terracing increases off-channel habitat during high flows and, similar to levee setbacks and historic channel reconnection, promotes sediment deposition by creating areas of slower velocity. Historic channel reconnection would also improve stream habitat and reduce erosion, and in some locations may reduce stream temperatures if increased shading and groundwater interaction occurred. Hyporheic flow occurs where coarse gravel dominated soils exist along a river. Hulse et al. (2007) have identified many such locations along the Willamette River where floodplain restoration could have significant temperature benefits. Investigations into the temperature impact of hyporheic flow are ongoing (Lancaster et al., 2005; Willamette Partnership, 2008). Many of these locations are adjacent to the Long Tom Watershed and are within LTWC's extended service area on the west side of the Willamette River. Decreasing stream temperatures by increasing hyporheic flow is not likely along the lower portions of the Long Tom, Bear, or Ferguson Creek, because this type of flow does not occur in the tight, clay soils found on the valley floor in the Long Tom Watershed. Multiple Benefits from Shading
Where riparian shading is being used to reduce stream temperatures, other water quality benefits may also be realized. For example, one could prioritize riparian planting for
3 In some of these situations it is a higher ecological priority to remove them for fish passage. 7 sites where erosion is a problem. If the soil contains mercury, arsenic, or other toxics, this action will also reduce the mobilization of these pollutants into the waterway. Another way to achieve multiple benefits is to add management actions on the site where riparian planting is occurring, such as fencing to exclude livestock to reduce E. coli and bank erosion. Riparian planting projects that are combined with levee removal, historic channel reconnection, and bank sloping or terracing can add multiple water quality and habitat benefits. Table 1 summarizes the potential benefits realized by each project type. Table. 1 Summary of Restoration Actions & Benefits Project Type Riparian planting Benefit Decreased stream temperature; increased dissolved oxygen; increased bank stability, which leads to decreased turbidity/suspended solids & delivery of soil bound pollutants, such as mercury, to stream; increased habitat for riparian dependent species such as song birds and amphibians Increased bank stability, which leads to decreased turbidity/suspended solids & delivery of soil bound pollutants, such as mercury, to stream; decreased delivery of livestock waste to stream, which leads to reduction in bacteria and nutrient pollution Decreased stream temperature; increased dissolved oxygen; improved fish passage; restoration of normal sediment transport regime Decreased stream temperature; increased dissolved oxygen; increased floodplain storage; increased offchannel and instream habitat and complexity; restoration of hydrologic regime; decreased bed and stream bank erosion Decreased stream temperature; increased dissolved oxygen Fencing for livestock exclusion/control Small dam removal Floodplain and hydrologic reconnection (Levee removal, historic channel reconnection, bank terracing) Cold water augmentation Implementation timelines for different project types
The specific stages to consider when estimating implementation timelines are site selection, outreach, contract development, funding, permitting, implementation, maintenance, benefit realization, monitoring and reporting. Pre-implementation stages are subject to many unknowns such that only the implementation period timelines are presented in Tables 2 and 3. Implementation timelines could also be affected by the total number of projects in an area. For example, if a large number of restoration sites become available at the same time, the availability of plant material and contractors may slow the process until sufficient capacity is developed to meet the demand. On the other hand, implementing many similar projects within a close time frame could make those projects collectively more efficient in competing for and utilizing contractor and staff attention. 8 Table 2. Project Implementation Timelines and Benefits (excludes pre implementation requirements) Project Type Riparian planting Fencing for livestock exclusion/control Small dam removal Floodplain and hydrologic reconnection (Levee removal, historic channel reconnection, bank terracing) Cold water augmentation Implementation Period 1 � 2 years to plant trees. 5 years full - see Table 3 6 - 12 months 1-2 years 1-2 years Benefit Realized 10-15 years Immediate Immediate Immediate 1-2 years Immediate Table 3. Timeline for Implementing Riparian Shading Projects4 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Site preparation, plant materials, planting, maintenance, program operations, project management and administration Plant materials, inter-planting, maintenance, program operations, project management and administration Maintenance, monitoring, project management and administration Maintenance, monitoring, project management and administration Maintenance, monitoring, project management and administration Viability of Project Types for TMDL Implementation Options
TMDL implementation includes BMP work on parameters that are more challenging to measure, such as bacteria, and specific targets for more measurable parameters such as temperature. For those with a quantifiable target, two steps are necessary before project types can be considered viable for offsetting TMDL requirements. First, there must be a
4 See also Clean Water Services Thermal Credit Cost Summary 2007 (updated 1/08), attached. 9 formula relating a measurable unit for the project type (e.g. acres of floodplain restored) to a unit of the anticipated benefit (e.g. kCal reduction). Second, there must be a calculation of how many units of the restored feature are needed to provide the desired amount of benefit. Riparian shading is the restoration project type receiving significant attention at this time for temperature mitigation. Investigations by DEQ and other professionals in the field are providing spatially explicit information on current and potential shade, and formulas to convert shade potential into heat load reduction. In anticipation of the abovementioned formula becoming available for the Willamette Basin, LTWC conducted a survey of potential sites for riparian restoration. The methods and findings from this project are described in the following sections. Riparian Shading of the Lower Long Tom River
Within the priority area, the lower Long Tom River from Fern Ridge Dam to the southern confluence at Norwood Island carries the most flow and therefore the greatest potential for reduced thermal load to the Willamette River. In addition, the lower Long Tom is the only sub-watershed within the priority area that has Shadealator model results.5 The modeling results allowed LTWC to identify sections of the river that would yield the greatest temperature reductions if shaded on both sides to maximum natural or system potential (potential effective shade). Maximum natural potential for all riparian areas in the Willamette Valley was determined by a group comprised of DEQ, The Nature Conservancy, and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. This group used historic vegetation information (circa 1850s) to determine appropriate plant community and structure for riparian areas in the Valley (Pamela Wright, DEQ, pers. comm.). For example, in some areas the historic riparian plant community was prairie, so maximum natural potential would not include canopy forming trees. In other locations, floodplain forest created a complete or partial canopy over streams and rivers. The latter example is the case for the historic riparian vegetation of the lower Long Tom River (Thieman, 2000). Methods
Products from the lower Long Tom River Shadealator model include current and system potential shade, and solar load reduction potential for each 100-foot segment of the river. In addition, DEQ developed a GIS shape file with each segment represented as a colored dot indicating the relative potential to reduce solar loading through riparian shading.6 Red indicates the greatest potential for reduction and is associated with segments that have little or no existing riparian vegetation. Green indicates the least potential reduction and is associated with well developed riparian areas. Note: In the Long Tom Watershed above Fern Ridge Reservoir, Coyote Cr. and Amazon Cr. also have Shadealator results. 6 This was provided by York Johnson, DEQ (see Acknowledgements for details) 5 10 Maps were created combining potential solar load reduction with land ownership and 2005 aerial photos (see Figure 1 for a sample map). This allowed identification of relatively longer reaches having the greatest potential for reduction, as listed in Table 4. Fewer landowners per reach would likely mean fewer contracts, management and administrative costs. Thus, reaches with one or a few landowners that are relatively long (2,000 � 10,000 feet) and have high solar load reduction potential (e.g., mostly red and orange dots) would likely yield the greatest reduction per dollar invested. Table 4 displays these selected reaches and converts the reduction potential into kilocalories (kCal) per day, which is the unit currently applicable in permit and trading discussions7. In addition to current vegetation, the aspect, bank height, streambed substrate and wetted width of the channel segment also influence the potential effect of new shade. For example, a channel running east-west would receive the greatest benefit from maximum shade on its southern banks. Also, the lower the bank height and narrower the wetted width, the more effective shading will be. This explains some of the variation in potential reduction of solar loading for segments that appear to have similar existing riparian vegetation. Shadelator results are output in Langleys/day, which are converted to kCal/day with the following equation: Kcal/day = (Langley/day) x .001 x (surface area cm2) 7 11 Figure 1. Sample map of Shadelator Results.
Note: Landowner names have been removed for privacy. 12 Findings
Potential solar load reduction ranged from approximately 17 million kCal/day for a 2,000' segment to 189 million kCal/day for a 9,600' segment (see Table 4). These results must be tempered with several facts. First, DEQ's Shadealator calculations are based on aerial photo interpretation calibrated with field verification at publicly accessible points along the river and as such should be considered estimates that guide the selection of potential priority areas and where outreach should occur. The calculation of actual shade credits will be based on field measurements only. Second, DEQ's model assumes that both sides of the river are shaded to their maximum natural potential. In reality, one may not be able to shade both sides if there is differing land ownership. Also, other factors, such as aspect or bank height, may indicate that shading one side may achieve a majority of the potential overall benefit. Third, maximum theoretical shade may not be practically achievable on the lower section of the Long Tom River managed by the Army Corps of Engineers because this channel is currently required to be maintained for flood control, which at this time means the planting zone extends down the stream bank but stops short of the summer water level8. For comparison, Clean Water Services (CWS) has found that their solar load reduction, based on field measurement calculations, ranges from 100,000 � 500,000 Kcal/day/100' segment. For a 2,000' reach segment, their aggregate amount would range from 2 million to 10 million Kcal/day compared to the 17 million Kcal/day above. Given the planting limitations on the lower Long Tom River, the range of CWS values are probably closer to what would realistically be achieved. Additional field visits and calculations are necessary steps before any final prioritization among sites occurs. If the sites were being considered for shade production in association with a credit value, a standard field form recognized by the Marketplace, would be essential. 8 The Army Corps of Engineers is currently evaluating how to address planting projects within its flowage easement along the Long Tom River as the presence of trees and shrubs will change the way maintenance is conducted. 13 Table 4. Potential thermal load reductions for selected reaches on the lower Long Tom River
FID 48-129 RM S RM N Linear West side East side Kcal/day Kcal/day/linear end end feet landowner(s) landowner(s) ft. 22.784 21.231 8200 1 2 105,990,703 12,926 3 4 5 6(BLM) 7 8 9 21.193 20.814 2000 10 11 17,322,828 8,661 20.511 19.508 5300 12 13 14 15 16 11 59,673,408 11,259 131 151 167 219 251 286 287303 18.902 18.239 3500 16 17 19 41,822,434 11,949 18.22 17.917 1600 18 20 21 22 16,340,905 10,213 371399 404424 448473 527 546 547 573 577 624 625 673 674 786 11451241 16.61 16.08 2800 22 36,174,397 12,919 15.985 15.606 2000 23 25 26 28 29 30 28 24 25 27 29 19,082,643 9,541 15.133 13.636 14.659 13.277 2500 1900 31,114,422 31,651,323 12,446 16,659 13.258 12.67 12.746 11.78 2700 4700 30 31 32 33 49,266,826 78,212,724 18,247 16,641 11.761 10.814 1.8182 10.833 8.6742 0.00 4900 11300 9600 28 34 35 36 38 36 63,477,730 12,955 13,509 19,674 34 152,651,465 36 188,874,862 37 39 14 Elements of a performance monitoring plan for riparian shading and bacteria reduction
CWS monitors shade credit performance by measuring density of live shrubs/trees and shade (densitometer readings) in randomly selected plots throughout the riparian planting areas. Final survivorship densities of >15,25 stems/acre is considered an indicator of successful riparian restoration. CWS staff also establish photo points, estimate invasive species cover, and make general observations about the condition of the restoration area for each site. Please see the complete CWS protocol attached to this report. In addition to the CWS implementation monitoring methods described above, LTWC recommends instream temperature monitoring at a sub-set of riparian restoration sites. Continuous temperature monitoring should occur from June 1 � October 15 immediately upstream and downstream of selected planting sites and at an appropriate number of control sites. Sites in the Bear and Ferguson sub-watersheds would be good candidates because the smaller stream sizes makes temperature probe placement and retrieval more successful, and the ability to detect temperature changes over time is more likely due to lower stream flows. Evaluation of E. coli concentration reductions from livestock exclusion projects is more difficult due to the variable nature of bacteria concentrations in streams. One possible approach is to implement monthly long-term monitoring at the mouths of targeted streams within the Bear and Ferguson Creek sub-watersheds. For example, Owens and Jones Creek, within the Bear Creek sub-watershed, have several years of prior collected E. coli data and they have some of the highest concentrations in the Long Tom Watershed. Once projects were implemented, post-project bacteria data could be collected for 2 to 3 years and then compared to pre-project data using Seasonal Kendall and T-test statistics. Considerations in contracting with landowners for shade production
When considering restoration of lands in private ownership, the interest and understanding of those owners is essential. Producing benefits quantified by credits for trade, banking, or sale is familiar to some people from examples of wetland banking in the region however very few have participated and know sufficient detail. The task for this project was to assess the willingness of landowners to contract and provide ecosystem services, shade in this case, and to outline the features of a contract for the sale of credits. 15 Methods
Relatively longer reaches with high solar load reduction potential and a single landowner (on one side) were prioritized for outreach. Ten landowners were identified and seven were successfully contacted. Six agreed to a conversation and five of these conversations happened on site. The interviews were conducted during December 2007 and January 2008 by Dana Erickson and Cindy Thieman, both staff of the Long Tom Watershed Council. Background and potential Q&A information was developed but not used as script. The questions listed below were posed. Please see Appendix C for further methods and specific answers. Questions
1. Would you consider putting your riparian area into plantings to shade the river? Would being compensated for that "crop", such as an annual payment, increase your interest? 2. If the conditions were satisfactory would you be interested in a contract for "growing" shade for 10-20 years? [interested here in entering contract and lengths of term] 3. How might you come up with an amount for the "per acre" payment for the riparian area that piques your interest? What is an approximate range for that amount? 4. What is a "good average" net profit for the range of crops you grow? 5. Is there a base contract amount and/or length that would be important to make entering into the business relationship worthwhile? 6. Are there any potential requirements from your end to make an arrangement / business transaction worth your while? 7. How soon would you be willing to make a sale? 8. Overall, how do you view a transaction like this? 9. Do you have any concerns/ideas/questions we can think about as we work on this project, or get back to you about? One landowner participated in contract development with a team working for Willamette Partnership. This team was comprised of specialists from David Evans and Associates and CH2MHill, Willamette Partnership, Long Tom Watershed Council staff and board member, and City of Eugene staff. The latest version of that contract available at the time of this report is included in the Attachments and some of the primary issues discussed from a landowner perspective are included with interview responses below. Findings
All the landowners represent medium to large-scale agricultural operations in the lower Long Tom River basin, ranging from 1,000 to over 2,500 acres. All are owner-operated "family farms". The following is a summary of the responses. For individual responses, please see the appendix. There was a certain amount of philosophizing during the discussions. Some of that may be informative in preparing for additional outreach and is also captured in the appendix. 16 Credit calculations Although the buyers will be interested in their cost per kcal, it will be useful when dealing with landowners to use units that are not far removed logically from acres, and to make calculation methods transparent. It is unclear where the notion of a credit fits into this equation. There is also a concern in valuing any credits or transactions per kcal as the heat load calculations may vary. The need is strong for expressing the transaction, especially the payment and cost calculations, in units that property owners are familiar with or that are well-connected with the land and product being sold. Contract payment amounts Landowners differed in whether they viewed the program as a business venture or as a reasonable way to fund a beneficial project. If payment is considered, the gross payment amounts, and subsequent net profit, must compare equivalently or favorably to a crop net profit in an average year. The more complicated the overall contract or relationship the more important the balance leaning toward the favorable side will be. This is true even after acknowledging that the riparian land acreage may not otherwise be put into production mostly because the property owner would prefer the land sit ready for an unknown and perhaps larger return than tie it up for small returns. Specific payment amounts varied widely, $350 � $1,600, and would depend on whether or not the ground was in production. Minimum Contract Value The total contract value must be worth the up-front cost of establishing a new venture, especially as the venture is not repeatable multiple times (e.g. property owners own a finite acreage). Cost would include: time, energy, materials, effect on work crews (hours needed/activities) and compatibility with other land management activities of the seller, and perhaps other considerations. The annual payment must also reach a worthwhile minimum; the number discussed for the annual payment values seemed to fall consistently in the $1,000 � $1,500 per year range. Uncertainty or "Hassle" factor There will be a factor in the valuation of the transaction from the landowner's perspective that makes it worth their while to engage in any business relationship. In the types of transactions being considered here overcoming the hassle factor will be more "costly" as the transaction becomes more complex or increases in uncertainty or includes entities with unknown or changing representatives and decision-makers (e.g. a contract including a government entity that also requires monitoring access by that entity). This may be overcome with a first contract value addition or signing bonus. Permission to access land This cannot be open-ended but once per year for monitoring purposes is accepted as reasonable if the entity is less known or a government entity. There are also quarterly 17 monitoring needs in the first 5-year period (or until the vegetation is "free-to-grow"). Third-party contracts for this, perhaps an entity or person known or otherwise trusted by both parties, would likely be seen as the most reasonable from the perspective of the contract parties and the conservation community. Upfront payment It is unclear how important an up-front payment will be. In the crop industry, initial payments are unusual �conversely, a significant cost outlay is required. From a project quality control perspective some parts of the upfront payment may be best tied to the most major aspect(s) of implementation production (e.g. vegetation planted). Contract signing bonus or value addition If contract signing bonuses were considered for an initial period when program implementation begins, there would be more incentive to participate. Conversely, there would likely be program "bugs" to work out and it may be more effective to have less participants as bugs are being worked out. A signing bonus could also be given to each property owner for their first contract. This could occur between buyer and seller, as part of or independent from the written contract. Explaining the system There is a finite set of agricultural landowners with property appropriate for achieving riparian establishment for shade production that affects temperature, especially when considering those that have influence over large acreages. In the agricultural community word travels fast and reputation, whether program or personal, is a critical element to any business relationship. A fair amount of outreach and marketing time could be built into the initial period of the program to show adaptive management in addressing concerns, problems, sense of fairness, and new opportunities. That outreach could be conducted by buyers, marketplace representatives, or some other agent. Landowner Involvement in BMP activity 9 Landowner involvement interest ranges from installing the BMP to conducting the routine maintenance. In this sample, only one landowner was interested in the installing the planting. Most others would consider conducting the maintenance. Where the landowners was interested in conducting the maintenance it was because they are accustomed to being involved in all aspects of running their land and operation � studying the soil and planning for crops, managing rotations, fixing machines, negotiating business. In the interviews, the planting activity was not referred to as a best management practice. Various interview methodologies suggest that inferring value in a question may affect the integrity of the answer so these types of references were omitted. 9 18 During installation, the quality of the planting directly affects survival. The initial cost investment for installation is relatively large and early failure creates a significant setback in production. Costs for maintenance include getting water to trees, costs to spray back competing vegetation, costs to guard against browse, and possible crews to do some of the work. Replanting should also be addressed. From a quality-control perspective, the landowners conducing the maintenance is not as risky as the initial planting. To be determined within the contract is who installs the BMP (seller, buyer-approved party, certified party/contractor) and to be determined within the marketplace system would be who sets the criteria for that decision, or the criteria for who qualifies as an approved party. It is recommended that if the landowner wants to implement the BMP themselves, they obtain some certification. Some quality control attention to maintenance would also be beneficial, whether that be in the form of certification or maintenance criteria and reporting. Contract Development
One council staff and one board member, who is also a landowner in the priority area, participated in the development of the Credit Exchange Agreement by the Willamette Partnership. Specific comments not incorporated in that process or referred to above are described below. In addition, Clean Water Services has developed multiple contracts that may be available as examples. Performance Bond Because the success in achieving the outcomes intended by the contracted arrangement are entirely dependent on the quality of initial planting and the survival of those plantings, a performance bond seems important, if not essential. Annual Monitoring There was willingness to see the annual payment tied to a successful monitoring report. Protection Clauses/ Limited Liability There is a need to have opt-out or relief clauses due to circumstances beyond landowner control - e.g. beaver or blow-down. Landowners were willing to reestablish the BMP however questioned how that cost would be addressed and how many times a seller would have to replant after those occurrences. Pooled performance bonds are an option here. Questions also arose concerning transferability if land ownership were to change. There was also a potential desire to opt-out if the contract payment were to decline over multiple years as diminishing returns would not be a continued incentive. This might be balanced with the finding that all landowners in this sample except one did not see any reason to remove a riparian area once it was established. The sole reason was due to putting a crop back on valuable ground. 19 Floodplain Easements
An option for further investigation is site reconnaissance and landowner outreach for multiple benefit work. For floodplain restoration in particular, the management of water emerges as very important to the landowner we spoke with that was familiar with the work of Hulse and Gregory referenced in this report. Although he said he would be open to a floodplain lease, removing water rapidly was essential to avoid crop damage. Specific discussions would enable the evaluation of these opportunities for achieving or maximizing the ecological benefit from flooding. Project Relationship to Marketplace Activities
Credit Calculations
The first "draft" credit calculator under development for the Willamette Partnership was not available to us before the preparation of this report. Field-testing this for results is an area of further investigation. Watershed Council Roles It is not clear at this time what role, if any, the Long Tom Watershed Council would play in the Ecosystem Marketplace. Options include: outreach to landowners about the marketplace as a restoration funding mechanism, brokering for landowners if they request that assistance in selling credits, aggregating certain landowner-sellers and offering credits for sale on their behalf, field-verifying credits offered for sale, implementing restoration work, stewarding implemented projects, monitoring and reporting on implemented projects. LTWC may elect one, multiple, none, or varying roles in the future. LTWC recognizes that some roles may be mutually exclusive. For watershed councils considering involvement in the marketplace, the key is to relate the activity to the council's mission and goals, and to make sure the activities chosen fit with the work patterns and skills of the council. For example, assisting a landowner in bringing credits to sale could be compared with obtaining a restoration grant for project work on a landowner's property. Aggregating sellers could be compared with multilandowner restoration projects that are grant funded. Much as a grant proposal is prepared, where projects components are assigned costs for the grantor and match from the landowner, a sale could be prepared that reflects the same costs and willingness of the landowner(s) to participate materially in the work. Another role that watershed councils may be well suited for is field-verifying credits as the orientation is quality-control and this fits well with the public-service and conservation focus of most councils, as well as their non-profit structure. The role of implementing restoration work is also well-suited however if the nature of the work is straightforward and repetitive it is perhaps better delivered by professional crews. The related tasks of stewarding, monitoring and reporting are another excellent role for councils for two reasons. First, these activities involve ongoing contact with landowners and thus the opportunity to discuss ongoing learning and other project potentials. Second, monitoring and reporting could build on 20 and relate to councils' monitoring of watershed conditions and whether or not projects are achieving stated objectives. Conclusions
Producing cooler temperatures in the Willamette River through restoration actions on its major tributaries is not only possible, many sites would likely provide multiple benefits. The priority area for restoration in the Long Tom Watershed is the lower Long Tom River below Fern Ridge Reservoir as well as Ferguson Creek, Bear Creek and perhaps Coyote Creek. Priority project types would include riparian shading, removing instream impoundments, connecting to cool water sources, and floodplain restoration and hydrologic reconnection. Multiple benefits would be achievable in many cases; this would be determined on a site specific basis and result from the inherent properties of the site or by adding project types. The most feasible actions to implement rapidly from an outreach, technical and creditequation standpoint are riparian shading projects. However, if all project types had the same on-the-ground start date, the solar load reduction resulting from shading would take longer to produce than the thermal load reduction or cooling from most other project types. The Long Tom River has the most flow in the priority area and it is estimated that shading its entire length below the dam would contribute 4� C cooler water to the Willamette. According to the Shadelator and Heat Source modeling, 17 million kilocalories of thermal reduction could be gained per 2,000 feet in the reaches with higher potential, although based on experience with shade production by Clean Waters Services in the Tualatin Basin we estimate numbers at half that amount to be more realistic. Performance monitoring should include BMP implementation (e.g. survivorship) and shade production (e.g. d